Kitchen Shortcut: Measuring Salt

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Scotch

Head Chef
Joined
Oct 3, 2006
Messages
1,041
Location
California
I have a large commercial-style salt shaker in my kitchen, like the one pictured below. It holds about half a box of Morton's table salt.

It occurred to me one day several years ago that each shake delivered about the same amount of salt, so I measured and determined that twenty shakes consistently produces 1 teaspoon of salt, and thus 10 shakes = ½ teaspoon, 5 shakes = ¼ teaspoon, etc.

It's not exact, of course, but it's close enough for most cooking (I still measure when baking).


21DE5H8%2BPhL._SL500_AA200_.jpg
 
I use one of these, and don't attempt to measure. Twenty shakes for a teaspoon is a lot of shaking.
 

Attachments

  • images.jpg
    images.jpg
    1.5 KB · Views: 166
I do the same thing, pretty much. I also measured into my hand so I could pour into hand and measure that way.
 
with all due respect....I wouldn't stand there shaking and counting, I'd just use the measuring spoons...but, that's me....
The point, my dear, is to AVOID having to use the measuring spoon. This saves time and steps when a recipe calls for the addition of salt.
 
Unless I'm missing something, what, really, is the difficulty using a measuring spoon to dole out salt. It isn't sticky or messy. Guess I don't use enough salt to see the problem. In fact, all our salt cellars have little measuring spoons in them.
 
Color me confused but how does counting 20 shakes save time over a quick measuring spoon? It takes more time to shake 20 times than it does to grab a spoon and measure the accurate amount of salt. Besides, salt is generally "to taste" unless it's in baking.
 
Color me confused but how does counting 20 shakes save time over a quick measuring spoon? It takes more time to shake 20 times than it does to grab a spoon and measure the accurate amount of salt. Besides, salt is generally "to taste" unless it's in baking.
Nonsense. It takes about 5 seconds to shake out a teaspoon of salt from the shaker on the stove top, as opposed to finding the teaspoon measure, getting out the box of salt, and carefully measuring it out. Besides, most recipes specify the amount of salt to add rather than saying "to taste." Would you expect to taste raw meatloaf to determine if it had the correct amount of salt? Get real and stop being so **** negative about everything.
 
Unless I'm missing something, what, really, is the difficulty using a measuring spoon to dole out salt. It isn't sticky or messy. Guess I don't use enough salt to see the problem. In fact, all our salt cellars have little measuring spoons in them.
I agree. There's no need to count shakes. Getting a spoon or even learning to eyeball in the palm is much easier than trying to count shakes. I have a recipe from my SIL and it drives me nuts to count 10 shakes and 14 shakes. I'd much rather grab a spoon than try and count shakes and guess are my shakes are accurate. And what if my shakes are different from hers? Shakes just doesn't work for me or seem the way to go.
 
At school, we were taught....no, it was drilled in us....that you don't measure salt and pepper. You season with salt and pepper by feel, pinching it in your fingers. This is of course not for baking and for that I don't have any problem sticking a measuring spoon into the same little salt container I stick my clean fingers in.

But, Scotch, if you feel counting your shakes is quick and easy, then go for it.
 
Over the years I have seen soooo many cooks, chefs and cooking demonstrators on TV that showed how to measure salt in the palm of your hand ... easily done in 2-3 seconds ... standing there counting "shakes" is kind of ...
 
Over the years I have seen soooo many cooks, chefs and cooking demonstrators on TV that showed how to measure salt in the palm of your hand ... easily done in 2-3 seconds ... standing there counting "shakes" is kind of ...
That's exactly how I do it, by the palm of my hand. Then I started thinking about it, generally, I don't use table salt for cooking, I use kosher or sea salt which isn't exactly table salt shaker condusive.
 
Bet we don't get any more tips from this poor guy.....

LOL, yes, we can be brutal, can't we?

actually, I don't use morton table salt either, nor a salt shaker, I have a cute little lidded salt pig with a tiny spoon. Or I stick a measuring spoon in the rigid plastic bag of salt I buy from Penzeys..
 
a cute little lidded salt pig with a tiny spoon.
I am disappointed not to see a photo attached! :LOL::pig:

I have a pewter bowl with Kosher salt and keep a half tsp measure in it. I also like the palm of the hand method. However - I also sometimes use a shaker - I think it's actually a parmesan cheese shaker; the holes are extra big and Kosher salt sprinkles easily from it.
 
Ya, I use sea and kosher salt for cooking as well. I just learned to measure with my fingers instead of my palm!
 
At school, we were taught....no, it was drilled in us....that you don't measure salt and pepper.

But, Scotch, if you feel counting your shakes is quick and easy, then go for it.


we don't measure, either, at school, though if you wanna shake to measure, shake to measure.
 
I dont use a shaker when I cook because of this reason -- why shake 20 times?

I use a salt dish.

I can measure almost exactly a teaspoon of salt in the palm of my hand without even thinking about it.

Or else use a teaspoon to measure.

Much faster, easier and more precise than shaking, IMO
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom